Drill Press has Every Feature a Woodworker Wants

Powermatic’s new 18-in. drill press was designed with the fine woodworker in mind. With a 1-hp motor and weighing in at around 250 lb., this machine is a heavyweight, with a big, cast-iron table and a sturdy, usable fence. The table (14 in. deep by 20 in. wide) has a 1-1⁄2-in. rib-free ledge around the perimeter, perfect for clamping. It also features a square insert that’s easy to replace when it gets worn out. The fence features a T-track along the top edge for hold-downs or jigs and comes with an adjustable flip-stop for repeatable drilling in multiples.

A labor-saving feature is the 6 in. of quill travel with one revolution of the handle. That means for most jobs you won’t have to reposition your hands while drilling to depth. In a nod to lefties, the feed handles can be set up for right- or left-handed operation.

Speed changes are a breeze, with no belt changes needed. You just crank a handwheel to go from 250 to 3,000 rpm. A prominent LED readout on the front announces the setting.

The Powermatic has the best task lighting I’ve seen on any drill press. Bright dual LED lights are placed in front of and behind the quill, so there is no shadow no matter what type of drill bit is used. Another bright point is the laser guides for locating a bit on the workpiece. They’re fully adjustable if things go awry, and bright enough to read even with the task lights on. The laser guides are accurate even when the table is tilted out of 90°.

The 5⁄8-in. chuck is high quality with virtually no runout. But I am disappointed that it’s a keyless chuck. Because I use the machine for drilling in steel as well as wood, I’d prefer a keyed chuck to ensure that the bit won’t spin when the going gets tough.

Another minor quibble: The table tilt requires loosening a knife-blade handle and then loosening a large bolt holding the table to its mount (per the owner’s manual). It’s kind of tedious, but fortunately it’s not a job that most woodworkers will need to do frequently.

My minor quibbles aside, I find that the gobs of vibration-free power, accurate speed control, and awesome task lighting make this a wonderful woodshop companion. The long quill stroke and a large clamp-friendly table create a drill press that isn’t just a rehash of a machine-shop tool—this one is for us.

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